Monday, December 1, 2014

History of Weaving-Spirituality-Nature-Animal Healing

Weaving is acknowledged as one of the oldest surviving art / craft forms. The tradition can be traced to the Neolithic period (new stone age) approximately 12,000 years ago. The basic principle of weaving was applied to interlacing of branches and twigs to create fences, shelters and baskets for protection.

In India the "warp" (the foundation) is known as the male energy /vertical/strong/unyielding. The "weft" (horizontal) is known as the female energy because women are considered mercurial (thermometer with mercury/hot/cold) - always changing. The weft contains the various colors and patterns added to the warp.

The Native American Medicine wheel which consists of the four directions, uses animals around the wheel for their energy, healing properties, prophecies, messages, and advice.

The Spider is associated with "weaving" energy and is intertwined with the origins of weaving. The spider and weaving is related to creativity and release of human limitations. The web of fate represents a wheel of life which does not look at alternatives or solutions. Humans that look at life as good or bad fortune can get trapped instead of realizing that they can change their life at anytime instead of getting "caught" in a web of fear and limitations.

Humans can weave a peaceful life bringing beauty, wealth, abundance and love into their lives.

"Spider wove the web that brought humans the first picture of the alphabet. The letters were part of the angles of her web. Deer asked Spider what she was weaving and why all the lines looked like symbols. Spider replied, " Why Deer, it is time for Earth's children to learn to make records of their progress in their earth walks. "

The humans had their petroglyphs, symbolic imagery. The spider felt they needed more symbols to complement their growth. "The spider wove the first primordial alphabet, as Spider's dream of the physical world had come to fruition millions of years before."

The Spider's body looks like the symbol 8, it is the symbol of infinite possibilities of creation. (/infinity symbol) Its 8 legs represent the four winds of change and the four directions of the medicine wheel.

The Spider web is symbolic of webs of fate and destiny. If you get caught you may become its dinner. This is similar to humans getting caught in the web of illusion in the physical world and neglecting to see beyond the problem into other dimensions.

The web represents the wheel of life which sometimes does not include solutions. Polarization, dualism, right and wrong, good and bad is a human condition that creates limitations, getting "caught" and living in our fears and limitations.

The Spider medicine says to create in all respects, create new alternatives, don't get trapped in weaving the same patterns. Pay attention to new patterns outside your web. Keep weaving new webs.

The Spider is also female energy the weaves beautiful designs.

Before answering the two questions below, think about messages and symbols you may have had today or recently that you have ignored or brushed away. (ie: Have you ever walked into a spider web by mistake only to recognize by the shreds of spider web on your arm or leg etc.?) Were you conscious as you walked down the street? What were you thinking about?

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1. Choose 5 messages/dreams that you would include into your new web pattern. 2. As you were selecting your messages/dreams what kind of interference did you encounter with yourself in making your choices? (What does it mean when we feel that we are asking for too much?)Weaving assignments:4" plastic canvas (coaster) weaving, cardboard loom (bookmark size of 12-14 strands- approx 5" wide by 12" long), plastic square loom 8"x8" square (loops as a warp and weft, create a potholder) basket weaving minimum size 6" diameter 6-8" (plus) height (seagrass cord and raffia)Drawing/color pencil/of a medicine card with information (12"x18" paper, medicine animal on half the paper about 10" diameter.A brief explanation of the medicine the animal represents. (rabbit=fear, deer=gentleness, frog=cleansing, hawk= messenger, )

About Me

Painter, mixed-media artist,mural designer, art reviews and articles, art curator,art educator.
My inspirations and influences have been my teachers from first grade through graduate school. My seventh grade english teacher, Mrs. Morgan lead the way and opened the doors wide open when she introduced poetry, literature and art to a kid that had never been to an art museum. Our field trip to the University of Arizona Art Museum was transformational. At the museum I discovered Mark Rothko and one of his color field paintings. It was in shades of chartruese,and sea foam (as I recall). This field trip changed my life. I am deeply grateful to teachers like Mrs. Morgan-someone I have always tried to emmulate.